STYLE. I do!: The DIY Bride

We were blown away by Lisa’s DIY wedding, proof that not all nuptials call for hired help. Taking happily ever after into her own hands, this craft-savvy bride created the perfect Cape Cod celebration (with a San Fran stamp) that was both personal and stunning. We sat down with Lisa to talk taking the plunge, DIY style.

Rue La La: From the pink and green flowers down to your blue Jimmy Choos, there were so many beautiful pops of color in your wedding. Tell us about your color story.Lisa: It started with our thinking “we like bold colors” and my only goal was to have stuff that would coordinate. Pretty early on, I decided to do all of the handmade pennant flags and with that stack of fabric in hand, I pretty much had a color palette handed to me. From there, the items and projects kind of took care of themselves in an evolutionary way.

Rue La La: Speaking of colorful, every member of your bridal party had a different color (and style) dress. How did this come about?Lisa: I really wanted everyone to wear something they would be happy in and have a possibility of wearing again. So, I just said, “Get something made from dupioni silk.” I knew that there would be some consistency, and I knew that most dupioni dresses are bright and bold. The dresses came from a myriad of sources – one from a consignment shop, one from a bridal shop, a few from J.Crew, and a few from eBay.

Rue La La: We love that your wedding had a sort of a vintage crafty theme. How did you bring these elements in?Lisa: My dress had that 50’s party dress feel, down to the tulle detailing. We rented a replica 1957 Speedster and the house where we had the wedding has a very lived-in feel that only an old-school New England beach house can have. We used vintage postcards from the area to make our guest book. On the crafty side, my girlfriends helped me string together over 300 yards of pennant flags, I sewed the ring bearer cushions myself, and everything from the table cards to the signage for the drinks was handmade.

Rue La La: Strictly décor speaking, what was your favorite thing about the wedding?Lisa: I really loved the centerpieces. Simple, straightforward, clean, yet each was a unique combination of items. Some of the candlesticks and vases looked like chemistry beakers. My paternal grandparents met while getting their PhDs in chemistry, so this was my secret nod to them. Others were just simple drinking glasses and champagne flutes. All of this sat upon a square piece of fabric (leftovers from the flags) and we filled them with cut flowers.

Rue La La: If you could give one piece of advice to future DIY brides what would it be?Lisa: Start making final decisions really far ahead, keep it simple, and really think about what will have the most impact. Those pennant flags had a huge impact, and with my posse all hard at work, it only took us a evening to finish (another point, it takes a village).